a l e x a st d e r



H. C. A'LE'XANDER,-OF NEW YORK, Y.

Letters Patent No. 96,761, dated November 16, 1869.

IMPROVEMENT IN CAN-OPENER.

The Schedule referred to in these Letters Patent and making part of the same.

To all whom. it may concern:

Be it known that I, H. C. ALEXANDER, of the city, county, and State of New York, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Gau-Openers; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, which will enable others .skilled in the. art to make and use the same, referl ence being had to the' accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, in which- Figure 1 is a side View of my improved can-opener. Figure 2 is a face or under-side view of the same. Similar letters of reference'indicate corresponding parts. My invention has for its object to furnish a simple and convenient' instrument for opening cans, sardinehoxes, Sto.; and

It consists in the instrument, constructed as hereinafter more fully described. A is the handle of the instrument, consisting of a wooden disk, having a handle upon its opposite edges. To the face of the disk of the handle A, is attached Aa metallic disk or plate, B, having a cutter, O, formed uponor attached to its edges. The cutting-edges of the cutters C are made pointed and angular, as shown in iig; 1.

ForV opening sardine-boxes and cans, where it is desired to leave one side of the piece cut out attached to the box` or can, to serve as a hinge, a part of the cutter upon one side may be cut away, as shown in i 1.

l g'lhe opener may be so made as to cut a circular opening, as shown in the figures, or it may be made to conform in shape to the shape ofthe boxes or cans to be operated upon.

In using the opener, the points ofthe cutter O are placed upon the can or box, iu the place where the opening is to be made, and the instrument is forced down until the wooden handle A strikes upon the tin of the cau or box.

Having thus described my invention,

I claimV as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent- A can-opener, constructed vas above described.

Witnesses: HI. C. ALEXANDER.

JAMES W. BEDELL, A. C. HENSLEY. 

